Vox begins the discussion of polarization, the consequences for decision making, and likely outcomes. I recommend following the links to the background essays as well.

I land on the side of the discussion that fears the rise of a strong-man phase of government. The miserable performance of Congress, due to the intransigence of the Tea Party-dominated Republicans installed by gerrymandering, is leading to a hunger for a strong leader, particularly on the Right (as ironic as that might be, it fits with their Strong Father bent and favoritism of the military). The rise of Trump is clear evidence for this. Given that we face increasing levels of crisis, if for no other reasons than climate change, the rise of ISIS, and likely proliferation of nukes, drones and other technical means of unconventional warfare, the general public is increasing likely to demand someone who can deliver results with a "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" style. This does not bode well for democracy nor Democrats, the less organized party.

We had a good time last night visiting with high school friends and their spouses, David and Bebe and Mike and Avril. It turns out Avril and Sara had seen each other at a work conference - small world. Mike is a sustainability consultant and keeps Starbucks, et all, on the up and up. Nice to see him after forty years and to meet his wife and, as usual, fun to visit with David and Bebe. Life is good...

My fitness band showed me that I experience too little REM and deep sleep, so, prompted by Sara, I returned to using my CPAP machine. The results are good - I am more rested and stats have improved.

The meditation timer app I use, Insight Timer, shows that missing meditation sessions has reduced my average daily meditation time to 22 minutes over the last four months. In response, I try to sit 2-3 times a day for 20 minutes per session.

My weight-tracking shows I've lost ten pounds over the last three months, but that this requires serious diligence and effort, beyond what I expected. In particular, I severely reduce carbs and exercise regularly, lifting weights and walking on the treadmill. These days I experience performance highs and exercise endorphins and a strong feeling of something missing when I don't exercise. My cardio capacity and physical strength both are near life-time peaks, based on two hour workouts most days.

Some life-long friends who are triathletes organized a thirty mile annual bike ride last year, so I am rehabilitating my bike to see if my knees will allow my participation. At any rate, I look forward to the get-together later this month.